


Beautiful Trauma

by moonlightnightmare



Series: Beautiful Trauma [3]
Category: RWBY
Genre: BECAUSE I'M SORRY BUT JAUNE DESERVED THE CHANGE TO KILL CINDER I'M SORRY, F/F, F/M, Features Qrow as Ruby's Dad, Graphic depictions of torture in some chapters (will be labeled in starting note on those chapters), I'M BITTER AND ANGRY ABOUT THAT, Renora in heavy amounts, So have take two, Somewhat will follow canon with a few changes, Spring Maiden! Raven Branwen, Summer Maiden! Summer Rose, Team as Family dynamics, Which in retrospect was ninety percent of the fic, a rewrite of a fanfic based on some headcanons gifted me by a few other fanfics, and as mentioned above there will be several OC teams that will join the party, blind! Summer, lots of really really really fucked up shit happens to Summer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-23
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2019-03-08 11:34:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13457385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonlightnightmare/pseuds/moonlightnightmare
Summary: ***CURRENTLY ON HAITUS UNTIL I GET MY INSPIRATION BACK***“I know. But I’m still terrified. I know you said not to worry about them, but there are a lot of big what if’s, Qrow. Like what if I’m not strong enough? What if all of my training was pointless and I’m not strong enough to beat her? What if after everything we’ve done to keep her out of this, Ruby gets thrown right into the middle of it all, because I couldn’t end this here?” His finger coaxed her chin upward so that she was looking at him.“You are the strongest woman I know, Summer. If there is anyone in the world who can do this, it’s you.”Gods, she hoped he was right.





	Beautiful Trauma

A soft giggle escaped Yang as she played on the floor in front of Qrow and Summer, who sat on the couch, both of them cushioning one half of Ruby’s small body. Yang was playing on the floor with her two favorite toys, a stuffed dragon and a Huntsman Barbie that her father had bought for her after much enthusiastic begging. To put it lightly, the gigantic dragon Grimm stood no chance with Huntress Barbie at the helm of the mission. 

Another laugh echoed through the room, coming from the small child in her lap, and Summer Rose looked down to her precious Ruby and brought a hand up to boop the child on the nose. “What’s so funny, Petal?”

Her husband turned his gaze from Yang to look at the child curled up in their laps and brought a hand down to pat her hair, “YaYa’s funny.” 

Yaya. Had to be the best nickname for the firey blonde playing on the floor. Sure they all took turns calling her firecracker, but honestly, YaYa was so much more adorable. “What’s so funny? Huntress Barbie is serious!” Yang’s face wore a pout, and if her hands weren’t full with the little bundle of joy in her lap, she’d have pulled out her scroll to take a picture to show Tai the adorable expression when he made his way home. 

“Got it covered, Shortstack.” Silver eyes turned to Qrow who was holding his scroll up for a picture, which only seemed to make Yang pout more. 

Summer looked over the scenario laid out before her. The absolute normalcy of all of it, and she had to fight back the urge to cry. Everything she ever wanted, was right there in front of her. “Momma, it’s not funny!” Yang stood up, Barbie and her stuff dragon abandoned on the floor. 

Her entire world was in this room. Her husband, her daughters. Her life. Built up on a pillars in a world that was falling to ruin around them. “I think it’s getting close to bedtime anyway, my little firecracker.” Summer watched as Qrow stood up, and swooped down picking the small blonde up in his arms. 

Summer shifted Ruby up into her arms as she rose up from the couch and the two of them took the girl’s off to bed. 

\-------------------------  
After the two small children were asleep, the two of them had found themselves back on the couch in the living room, looking at discarded toys. “Something’s on your mind.” Of course, he was the one to see it. Qrow could see through her like a damn transparency at this point. After all, she’d only been with him since the end of their first term at Beacon. “Wanna talk about it, Sum?”

Her face bore a thoughtful expression, as she thought of exactly how to phrase exactly what was on her mind. How was she supposed to phrase this? It was a fairly simple thing to put into words. But at the same time, it felt like one of the hardest things to say. “It’s easy to forget sometimes. It’s easy to forget that I’m the Silver Eyed Maiden with a thousand enemies. It’s easy to forget the magic and the horrible things in the world, the hard part is coming down from moment’s like these, and remembering that all good things come to an end eventually.” 

“Hey, I thought I was supposed to be the pessimist.” Qrow jibed, bringing his arm up to wrap around her and pull her in. Summer felt at home pressed against him, like she was safe from everything that hunted her. Everything that would hunt her. “I’m not going to let any of them take this away from you. After all, you convinced me that I could have this, despite everything.” 

“I love you, Qrow. Sometimes I’m afraid I don’t deserve you.” He was far too good. Even if he doubted himself sometimes. She was lucky that he had chosen her. No matter what he said about his bad luck. 

“You know, I say that about myself all the time. So let’s just assume we’re both wrong.” That illicited a laugh from the red and black haired woman, whose face was still burrowed into the chest of her husband. 

Husband. Honestly she couldn’t call him that enough times, and still believe it. Especially after how long it’d taken for him to agree to marry her, despite the semblance he worried would ruin everything. It’d been a small affair. Just him, and her, and Ozpin who had officiated the ceremony. 

Speaking of, why was her scroll ringing furiously at Gods hours in the evening. She looked down to find Professor Ozpin’s face present before her. It had to be important if he was calling them this late. She pushed to answer the call. 

“I need the two of you in my office first thing in the morning, it is a matter of great importance. You will need to be ready to ship out immediately.” The urgency in Ozpin’s voice was enough to make her afraid. Enough to erase the talk as it seemed like the world was crashing upon her again. 

“It’s her, isn’t it?”

“Yes. You two get some rest, you’ll need it.” The call ended as abruptly as it had started, and silver eyes turned up to look into crimson. 

“Qrow.” The look on his face spoke volumes. She was familiar with that look, it’s the one that crossed his face every time she dropped a glass, or a dish, or something broke. “This had nothing to do with you. We knew it would happen eventually. We expected this. This isn’t your fault.” 

\---------------  
The next morning came all to soon, Summer was packing her bags when Ruby and Yang toddled into her and Qrow’s room. Yang pulling her stuffed dragon behind her. Ruby clutching the teddy bear Qrow bought her for her first birthday. “Momma, when are you gonna come home?”

“No go, Momma.” The reactions of her two precious little girls were enough to shatter her heart. But she and Qrow had to go. This was there fight, and if things went as they should, Salem would fall and it would all be over. 

“Momma’s gotta go, my beautiful petal. I have to save the world.”Summer reached down and ran a hand over Ruby’s head as the toddler wrapped her arm around her leg as if she refused to let go. “And Yang, my precious dragon, I promise I’ll be home very soon.” 

She finished packing her bags, and Yang pulled Ruby off to go find Tai. Summer found herself blinking back tears as she watched her babies run from the room, their presence replaced by Qrow. “I’m afraid.”

“I don’t blame you.” His response damn near broke the dam holding back her tears. But she persisted, refusing to cry. “Salem’s wanted to kill you since we were kids, if you weren’t scared I’d be worried about your sanity.”

“What if----”

“Hey! Don’t think about the what if’s, Shortstack. It’s only gonna make this harder. We’re going to go out there, we’re going to kick her ass, and we’re going to come back home. End of story.”

If only real life was a fairytale like that, right? She heaved her bag up onto her shoulder, and huffed a sigh, “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be, let’s go.” 

\---------------  
Standing in Ozpin’s office was almost like standing at the gates to hell. She trusted this man with her life. She’d handed him the key to very existence, and she trusted him to keep her alive while they were on this mission. 

Her eyes examined the map he had pulled up, looking over the area marked by the telltale x that revealed their destination. “Salem’s minions were last spotted here, and the Grimm concentration has risen greatly in the area. Thankfully it’s unpopulated. But the problem still remains. It’s believed that Salem is there. The concentration of Grimm is sufficient enough evidence. Your mission is simple, use everything I’ve taught you, Summer, and take her down.” 

She’d been training for this since she was a teen. She’d spent the better half of decade preparing herself for this. For the battle that would save the world. If anyone could do this--- Even if she died. She had to do what she could to make Remnant a safer place for Ruby. 

“I will. We will.” Summer nodded, readjusting her pack so that the strap rested against her shoulder. It was a promise she didn’t know if she could keep. How could she know? How could anyone know how this was going to go? She was about to go into the lion’s den and fight a monster that had gone undefeated for so long that only one person in existence even knew about her origins. She reached out with a shaking hand to take hold of Qrow’s to use his presence to ground her. She wasn’t as alone as she felt in that moment. 

“Be careful, and remember what I taught you, Summer Rose.” She offered the man a nod, and with that they separated, Qrow and Summer heading out to the air ship that would drop them right above their destination. They boarded and got comfortable for the long ride ahead. A level of silence rested between them for the first hour before she spoke and broke the silence. 

“Is it so wrong to want a little bit of peace?” She wilted, her head falling back against the ships wall, she sounded like she’d aged by twenty years in the last hour of silence inside her head. 

“We knew how dangerous this life would be from the moment we started at Beacon. We made this choice.” Qrow’s voice, that damn idiot with his wisdom and his words, and that oddly soothing tone to his voice. 

“I’m not saying I’d take it back. I wouldn’t. Not in a million years. I love being a huntress. I’m just so tired of fighting things that we know are so much stronger than us. 

Sometimes I wish----” She stopped herself right there, the words not falling from her lips. Sometimes she wished that she could just rip her eyes out of her head and give up her powers, but she knew it didn’t work that way. It could never be that simple. 

“Summer…” There was a worried edge to his voice, and she wished that it wasn’t there. She wished that it didn’t make her angry. 

“What? Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about what our life would be like if we could get rid of the curses we bear. I can. No one knows that my powers are soulbonded but Ozpin and us. I could take the target right off our backs, and all I’d have to do is suffer through a little bit of pain. But then I realize, as soon as I do that… I’m thrusting this responsibility onto our daughter and she’s not even potty trained.” Summer looked down at her hands, within the next few hours, they would hold her weapon and expel her magic. And they’d be fighting for their lives against a monster so much stronger than they’d ever be. 

“It’s almost over, Shortstack.” He spoke, pulling her close to him yet again.

“I know. But I’m still terrified. I know you said not to worry about them, but there are a lot of big what if’s, Qrow. Like what if I’m not strong enough? What if all of my training was pointless and I’m not strong enough to beat her? What if after everything we’ve done to keep her out of this, Ruby gets thrown right into the middle of it all, because I couldn’t end this here?” His finger coaxed her chin upward so that she was looking at him. 

“You are the strongest woman I know, Summer. If there is anyone in the world who can do this, it’s you.” 

Gods, she hoped he was right.  
\-------------------------  
The plane landed, dropping them right outside of the warzone they were about to enter, and an eerie feeling crept into her washing over her like a dark cloud. It was too quiet. A small army of huntsman and huntresses stood behind herself and Qrow, lingering at the ready for their leaders orders. 

She controlled their lives in the orders she gave. Together they walked through the canyon in silence, eyes open, weapons drawn prepared for the ambush that was no doubt waiting for them. Her eyes scanned the terrain searching for any signs of life, any signs of Salem. 

She was not disappointed. The woman that stood before them was a tall figure, her hair pulled back in a series of loops and twists, black veins spreading down her skin, which was pale as death. This was Salem. 

“I see you brought an army. How amusing.” The condescension in her tone was a terrifying sound that sent a ripple down her spine. There was an unspoken line in voice. Like they’d stand half a chance of saving you. 

“I don’t need an army to stop you.” Summer didn’t believe her words half as much as she should’ve, but that didn’t stop her from raising her weapon to prepare for battle. As if on a cue, the presence of Grimm filled her senses. They were everywhere.

“Summer Rose, the silver eyed Summer Maiden. Ozpin’s newest little pet.” A shiver rippled down her spine at the woman’s words. Who had told her that? Someone who knew them and the truth had to have told her. “He keeps trying to create someone strong enough to stop me. A shame it won’t be you.” 

In that moment the snarls of Grimm were accompanied by the screams of a huntsman as the first Grimm charged, and other’s followed. The clanging of weapons, the sound of Grimm’s dissolving with a quiet woosh, flooded her senses leaving her caught for a moment in the misery her existence had caused. But she couldn’t live in that misery forever. She had a mission, a daughter to protect and a bitch to kill. A rush of power took over her, as she let out a cry and the canyon ignited with silver light. She lifted her hand, the first shot firing, a beam of blinding light at the woman, who had lunged an oddly flexible arm out towards her, she jumped out of the way, and towards Qrow. 

Her skin began to flake and peel, petals fluttering in the wind around her as she landed beside Qrow, another beam of light escaping and heading in Salem’s direction, this time her attack was dodged, and the woman rushed forward. “Qrow, Scattered Petals.” 

One of their attack combinations. They had several, but this was one of their favorites, one of them, especially when coupled with Flown North. Another however oddly named, fun attack strategy that had worked for them often in the past. One second he was there, and the next, his had shifted and was gone, fluttering high above the battle. A push of a button and Summer’s Crimson Rose shifted into it’s gun form, the shot propelling her back and out of Salem’s reach, her eyes turned to Qrow, who was waiting in position for her.

They’d done this a thousand times, what was one more? It was time for Flown North, named as it was for the use of Qrow’s crow form to reach a higher position, and the fact that in a few second she would quite literally be flying. Salem’s hand shot out towards her again as she fire three shots, to propel her to where Qrow was positioned high above the battle. She gave a shout as she flew towards him, and at the last possible second, in the air, he transformed back, his broadsword at the ready to catch her, and he batted her back towards the ground with as much force as he could muster. That same glow emminated from her hand, instead of the glow of her weapon as it’s dust activated. If she did this right, this battle would be over in one hit and they could go home. 

But things didn’t work like that. Salem’s hand extended again, flying up to catch her in a massive hand and slam her down to the ground, earning a cry of pain from her as she made contact with the hard ground. 

“Summer!” The hit had made her spit up blood, she could taste it in her mouth, as she tried to open it to tell Qrow to stay away. 

The burst of light exploded through Salem’s hand forcing it back as she staggered to her feet. “It’s going to take a lot more than that to take me down.” A vibrant yellow tint coming to join the silver glow around her eyes as she raised her hand and called down a blast of thunder towards the woman. 

Salem scattered, the battle taking itself from the ground and into the higher reaches of the canyons rocky surfaces, as they used rocks and walls to propel themselves higher and into each other. The intensity of their battle growing with each passing second. If it continued like this, one of them wasn’t going to make it out of this alive. A storm of petals fluttered around her now, each individual petal sharpened like a singular blade and ready to strike. This was her semblance. Ozpin had once jokingly called it a Petal Storm during one of their training sessions. But she was more apt to calling it a Blizzard, because from a distance, it appeared to be a blizzard of deadly petals to take down her enemies. She was ready. The petals rushed forth to attack the Grimm woman, and all seemed to be going well until she heard Qrow call her name, the hint of fear in his voice, just as a Grimm sent her spiraling towards the ground her weapon gone from her hand. Claws raked through her skin, holding on, and earning a scream from her as she fell. 

The good news, the Grimm had broken her fall. The bad news, she wasn’t getting up any time soon.

Qrow moved towards her so that he could protect her in her current state, but he was stopped when a particularly intelligent Grimm knocked his scythe from his hand and knocked him to the ground, a massive paw pressed against his head. “I did try to warn you.” Salem’s voice echoed in his head as he was forced into unconsciousness. The last thing his eyes saw being Summer’s oddly still form. 

\-------------------------  
When Qrow came to, he was alone amidst the carnage. The Grimm were gone, but the huntmen that had joined them were all dead. Blood tainted every possible surface, and there was no sign of Summer Rose anywhere. Nothing aside from the exception of her cloak ruined by claw marks and her own blood. 

He felt oddly detached as he gathered the cloak in his arms and started the walk home. He needed the time to assess exactly what he was planning on doing next. It was three days of loneliness stuck inside his head before he made it through the front door of Tai’s home. Everything he’d ever wanted, and he’d lost it, in the blink of an eye. Just like that. Night had fallen, the girls were asleep. And Taiyang looked at him like he’d seen a damn ghost. 

“You’re alive? Where’s Summer? Ozpin said he sent a retrieval ship and couldn’t find you.” Tai, who was almost never worried about anything, seemed to be in a borderline panic.  
Qrow unfurled Summer’s cloak. “This is all that was left of her. Bury it, give the girl’s something to hold onto.” Just as quickly as he’d walked in, he’d planned to walk right back out. 

“Where are you going?” Tai’s voice was tainted with anger. An edge of frustration, the likes of which he hadn’t heard since Raven had abandoned them. 

“I’m leaving, Tai. Take care of them.” 

“You don’t get to walk out of here like she did, Branwen.”He wanted to be upset. He really did, but he couldn’t blame his teammate at all. 

“I’m going to, because it’s what’s best for my daughter. The woman who killed Summer, knows me. Knows who I am, and she will come back. Ruby can’t be my daughter. That puts her in danger.” 

“What are you talking about? Qrow, Ruby isn’t just going to accept that you’re gone.” 

“She’s still young enough, Tai. She’s still impressionable. You can change her perception. So do it. I’ll be around. I can’t be her father. You can.” He didn’t give Tai a chance to speak before he walked out the door, turning his back on everything he’d ever cared about. His niece, his daughter, and his best friend. Summer was gone, stolen from him. 

It was the shout at his back that shattered his heart in his chest though, “You can’t take this back, Qrow! I do this, and you can never tell her the truth, it would destroy her!”  
He kept walking. 

“I know.”


End file.
